to say something to my intern

[wouldratherbebythepool]

Intern is lovely, we have never met, they are interning from their bedroom on the other side of the country due to COVID.

They have some experience and are 33 years old and living with a partner (no kids in case relevant), but recently graduated from university. I wanted to give them a chance.

I've never had anyone work for me before. I work very very fast, and it is my company so I know the ropes. I wouldn't have expected them to be as fast as me but I am very surprised at how slow they are at working in comparison to me.

They are full time, on £10 p/h yet get a quarter of the work done as I predict I would have, maybe less.

I have started wondering if they are actually working their full hours.

I try and be the best boss possible, I sent them a welcome gift, and told them their 8 hours a day are flexible as long as we have time for a daily catch up. Our catch ups are casual, fun, and I answer all their questions.

I have another job and am looking after my friends child at home (friend is single mum front line worker so I have taken in my very well behaved, immune compromised, 'niece' for 3 months.) This means I only have time for a 1 hour call a day for the intern, if that.

It's important that they feel trusted and I think as soon as someone doesn't feel trusted it can get nasty.

I am an emotional person and have anxiety so hate confrontation, but my approach of setting goals, deadlines, explaining how to reduce the time, have not improved things. They have been working on a document that would have taken me 1 week max, for four weeks and it's half done.

When I break down tasks and set deadlines my intern tells me the deadlines are unrealistic.

I check when they last edited documents and sometimes it says a couple of days ago, but before I awkwardly address this they inform me that they often work on a separate document and copy the information over, so I couldn't track the opening time.

I have no idea what to say. They are only here 12 weeks in total. I wouldn't have brought them on if I had known they would do so little work. But they also do lots of research around a subject. For example if I asked them to write a "quick description" of the company, they would create a document and spend two days researching other companies descriptions and how to write one, to write something I didn't particularly like. If your boss told you to write a "quick one paragraph description" how long would you spend on it? 16 hours?

Do I say something to my intern and what?

I think you are being U sorry.

Was it made clear in the terms so f the contract how much work per hour is expected?
What training were they given?
Was it made clear to them how the edited docs could/should/would be time stamped/traced?

She probably is rubbish and not doing it half properly, but as it's your company you need to deal with this and either clarify her responsibilities (in line with her contract) or get rid (in line with her contract) but you'd be on a sticky wicket by stating it's because she's not as fast as you!

It’s difficult to say. You say it’s your company so you’ll know it inside and out. They have no knowledge of it. So something you think is an easy task may not be. They may have to do some prep work to gather knowledge before actually doing the task. That could be the case with the description. Also as it’s your company are you going to like someone else’s description of your company?
I’d outline your expectations of the task with deadlines and check in times / milestones at the outset so you’re both clear on what is needed and by when.

Set some clear expectations and deadlines

You would be unreasonable not to talk to her.

It doesn't have to be a confrontation! There is a whole world between "confrontation" and "avoiding the subject".

An hour a day is a LOT. I would probably make it 20 mins first thing, 20 mins part way through, 20 mins at end - tell me what you are going to do & how, how is it going, what have you done.

Closer management. More and more detailed feedback. More instructions. More questions. When she says"that's not realistic", ask "why not". You are not doing her any favours by letting it go!

People who run their own businesses simply cannot have problems with confrontation. Go on a course about managing conflict so you feel better equipped.

You're not being U and this is a common material problem. If you're using something like one drive where you can see when they were last using it, tell them to stop copying over. Get them to walk you through their progress everyday/ twice a week so you can see what they're doing in 24 hours. Set deadlines and enforce them. If you say 1 week and think it's reasonable and they said it's not, being it back to the issue about them reading around. Use it as an opportunity to teach them to produce things quickly.

*managerial not material

I just always refuse to take people on even if they offer to work for nothing as it's simpler and I work very quickly indeed. It is not worth the hassle. If your contract with her allows you to terminate on a week's notice I would just do that as it is clearly not working out.

It sounds to me like there are some problems with the way this person is working, the thing about researching for two days is crazy. Maybe they are also lazy but it is so difficult to say in the current situation.

My sense is that it would be appropriate to say something, but I am not sure what, or what you could do to improve things. I would have said something about the paragraph, that it was not worth two days research. Even being generous and checking out something similar from other companies I'd have said an hour was a generous allotment.

You are absolutely not being unreasonable. Sounds like you are a busy person and you need someone who can cope with fast paced demands. Sounds like those demands are also reasonable. This individual is not a school leaver - they are in their thirties and should have an understanding by now of how to prioritise their day and also to grasp the concept of a deadline. It sounds as though they are either mentally not up to the job or they are allowing the current circumstances to mask a lack of hours being put in. I would release them.

Doing an internship during lockdown must be so hard, especially if she only has access to you for one hour a day. I did an internship that finished just before lockdown and it did take me longer to complete work than the other staff because I wasn't experienced and I was doing my best to do a good job of it. I also had the added benefit of having staff on hand eight hours a day to ask for help.

It's great you are aiming to be a reasonable boss but catch ups do not have to be fun or enjoyable and friendly. Professional is what you're aiming for with clear expectations of what is needed.

It sounds like you are setting a deadline and they get to debate it. Wrong. As long as you are in fact being reasonable about timeframes you need to outline that is what is required and if there is a problem, why. If you don't agree with what sounds like excuses say you're concerned at their delivery and it will need to be reviewed.

I've managed a lot of people for a long time. That's taught me underperformers take up a disproportionate amount of my time and everyone else' so they are usually out fairly quickly. Example here is you checking version control and them saying they work on another document. All irrelevant. It's not done in the set timeframe and you need to know why.

Either just ignore as they're going soon or you have to address it.

I'm actually quite annoyed as there are a lot of good people about doing minimal wage jobs in shops etc. This person has massive flexibility on when they work and is able to work from home for £10 p/hr apparently achieving very little.

This is a learning experience for you. Hope they're not expecting a reference.

For example if I asked them to write a "quick description" of the company, they would create a document and spend two days researching other companies descriptions and how to write one, to write something I didn't particularly like

What feedback did you give them at the time?

It doesn’t sound like you’ve really tried to address any of the issues. It doesn’t need to be a confrontation either.

I think an issue with an intern is that there is an expectation that they will need to learn in the job and it’s likely to be their first corporate role. If you need someone with more experience and professionalism, you need an administrator, not an intern.

YANBU - you sound a good boss to me. Someone who set clear expectations.
Maybe ask them to have a 4 hourly breakdown. Let them do an estimate on tasks so you can discuss it with them.

You want a brief description ( shouldn’t take longer than a couple of hours for the first time), then maybe ask them how long they think it will take them... then check whether they can deliver on it. It helps with understanding whether you are it realistic or they are below par.

What is the actual work? All sounds vague to me. What do you do? I am a finance director, but would be hopeless at writing a document based on what someone the other side of the country was thinking

There's learning the ropes, and then there's taking the piss, and this - They have been working on a document that would have taken me 1 week max, for four weeks and it's half done - is taking the piss.

Why are you allowing an intern to dictate to you what is or isn't a reasonable deadline? Are they actually explaining why they think it's not reasonable, have they explained why this document has taken them four weeks and it's still not finished?

I think unfortunately from the very start you've crossed the line from professional, you've set the tone wrong, it's up to you to set professional boundaries and there are lots of ways of being a good boss without being matey, or a total pushover.

Tbh depending on how long they've got left with you, if it's only a few weeks, I'd write this one off and then get yourself on a management and conflict resolution course.

To some extent it depends on the work and what expertise they have in it as to how fast they can accomplish tasks.

Are you giving them guidelines in terms of what you are expecting? "Please write 1-2 paragraphs on the company to go on the website, perhaps spend a couple of hours on it then send it over".

If you are giving guidelines then ask if they are finding things more tricky than expected, gently indicate that you are expecting more work to be completed - check what difficulties they are having.

They may be in their thirties but they may not ever have worked in an office and don’t know what’s expected or are unfamiliar with the software? They could be a professional student who only ever stacked shelves prior?

A previous posted suggested three short phone sessions per day with them on the phone.
That’s a good idea as it would allow you (and them) to see what they have actually done in that time.
So if you ask them to rattle up a spreadsheet with columns for xyz to do with your business, no formulas just columns and they hadn’t done it in two hours (and hadnt done anything else) I’d be asking them what the problem is.

If you have clear expectations then you could always check if they are too high or not by asking a pal who works in a office a favour to do the same thing and see how long it takes her to do (and promise her a meal out as pay once lockdown is over) Just out of curiosity. Then you’ll see how quick she does it. And what she asked you if you didn’t provide enough info.
You will work quicker yourself as you’ll know exactly what info you need. That’s experience. She may not and perhaps is afraid to ask? So dawdles hoping to ask you later and can’t do anything without the info?
As for the doing stuff off the spreadsheet and copying it in, I can understand why - because she is afraid of mucking it up - but that’s doesn’t help you. I’d be asking her to do it on the live spreadsheet if that is what you want. It shouldn’t take her two days.
All in all if it’s not a software or other training need or a lack of info or you being unreasonable about timescales I think she has to go.

I think YABU, because you’ve had her a few weeks now and don’t seem to have addressed the problems you’ve had.

How can she improve if you don’t tell her what’s wrong or be clear in what you expect? She’s not a mind reader; if you don’t tell her she’s too slow or not working as expected how is she to know?

It sounds like you need to go on a managerial course to learn how to deal with these issues and effectively manage people. Your expectations are way off.

(Also, don’t try to make your calls “fun”. You’re at work - be professional. No matter how much you may think they’re “fun”, I can guarantee you your intern will not be thinking the same.)

Also you need to be very specific in what you want from her. You can just say “paragraph” and be done with it - you need to give her a time frame and a word limit along with the subject matter.

She needs attainable targets and goals within reasonable and clear timeframes.

*can’t just say

I think you need a chat about things not needing to be A* material. say if you expect the paragraph to take 3 hour max or whatever.

if you need transparency they need to save their working document where you can monitor opening time.

Yanbu. You are paying this person and have a right to set expectations. You are doing the right thing by having regular catch ups but it sounds like it takes a lot of your time.

Show them what good looks like. If they say deadlines aren't achievable push back. Tell them it's against your policy to take documents off to somewhere else for editing. Those documents belong to your business.

You aren't helping them or yourself by not dealing with them appropriately. They won't progress elsewhere if they can't deliver the goods.

I think YAB a little U.

You will obviously be able to do tasks faster than her as it’s your business. If you are giving feedback and it’s not acted upon then you have an issue, or if you feel she is doing less hours than stated. Otherwise you need to give her the skills to improve.

We had an intern who initially I thought was taking ages to do anything but it was through a lack of experience and confidence, and at the end of her internship she was flying!

How much are you telling him of what you need things for? It might help him to know how detailed the work is if he understands the purpose.

One of my first jobs a a teenager was in a jewellers. I was told the window stands need a good clean but given no indication as to how long it takes. So I was really thorough and took ages. After that I learnt it should take an hour max and when I did it again I was far faster and less pernickity because I understood what was expected, as well an understanding how often it was done.

The point is the more i knew the better i could fit into what was required. Does he know that you only needed basic details or fir he think it should he more? The more you explain the better so he can tailor his work.

The copuing over work is ridiculous though. I'd put your foot down on that.